Taierzhuang Ancient City

Grand Canal Town Rebuilt On The Site Of The 1938 Battle Of Taierzhuang; National 5A Tourist Attraction · Zaozhuang, Shandong

A canal town in southern Shandong that was destroyed twice over and rebuilt from nothing - first a prosperous port on the Grand Canal in the Ming and Qing dynasties, then the site of the Battle of Taierzhuang in the spring of 1938, when Chinese forces held and then broke a Japanese advance in the first major Chinese victory of the war. The fighting left the town in ruins, and what stands today is a large-scale reconstruction opened in 2010: canals and stone quays, guild halls, temples, arched bridges, courtyard inns and lantern-lit waterfronts built in the mixed northern, southern and Hui styles the old port once had. Purists note that almost nothing is original, but the scale is impressive, boats ply the waterways, folk performers work the squares, and the place is at its best after dark. At its heart, and quite different in tone, stands the memorial museum to the battle, where bullet-scarred walls have been preserved and the story of the defence is told in detail; entry to it is free. The town is busiest at the Lantern Festival and on summer weekends.

Taierzhuang Ancient City, Taierzhuang District, Zaozhuang, Zaozhuang, Shandong, China

Old city open around the clock, with night entry through the east gate after 22:00 requiring an online ticket; the battle memorial museum Tuesday-Sunday about 8:30-17:00, last entry 16:30, closed Mondays.

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